Riveting machine



Jan 18 1927' E. B. sTlMPsoN RIVETING MACHINE 'Filed June v, 1922 5 sheets-sheet 1 (l lllllllllllll j) ORN YV 18 27 E. B. sTlMPsoN V RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 7,l 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v am;

Jan. 18, 1927.

` E. a. srlMPsoN RIVETING- MACHINE Filed June 7. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet i Jan. 1

18 927 E. B. sTlMPsoN RIVETING MACHINE Filedqune 7. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN B. STIMPSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN B. STIMPSON COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

RIVETING MACHINE.

Application filed .Tune 7,

This invent-ion relates generally to rivet setting devices and more particularly to means for increasing the rapidity of operation lof riveting machinesof the foot-lever operated type.

The general construction of rivet setting machines of the general type referred to which have been heretofore known and used consists of an anvil or work holding member into engagementwith which a reciprocable arbor or other moving part is brought by the operation of a foot lever to set or clinch the rivet in the work. The mode of operation of such machines which necessitated the removal of the work containing the set rivet and its replacement by work in which a rivet is to be set between successive operations of the foot lever, wa's relatively slow and production was accordingly restricted.

It isone of the general objects of the present invention to provide a rivet setting device which will be free from the objection referred to and in the operation of which a greatly increased speed of production can be obtained. It is also an object of the invention to provide a'rivet setting device by means of which rivets., electrical contact members, or other metal parts maybe rapid- -ly and securely set in `relatively fragile material, such as porcelain, with substantially no breakage of the fragile material occurring during the operation.

The invention includes a device of the character referred to in which, instead of a. single work-holding member, a plurality or series of work-holding members are employed, the holders being automatically movable one at a time into and out of position to be operatively engaged'by the rivet setting arbor. This structural arrangement permits the placing of Work in position on a holder before that particular holder has reached the rivet setting position, so tha't the placing of work in position can be effected during the time that a setting opera'- tion is being performed on another holder.' At the same time the operator can with his other hand remove work from a holder' which has passed through the setting position or the finished work may be automatically removed from the holder when a suitable position has been reached following the setting operation. The result is that no time whatever is lost between setting opera- 1922. Serial No. 566,625.

tions of the foot lever to place or replace work.

The automatic operation of the described series of work holders, which may conveniently take the form of a revoluble tur` ret is preferably effected by means of an operative connection between the turret and a movable part actuated by the footV lever, the rotation of the turret being of a step-bystep nature such as will bring the individual work holders in turn' into and out of rivet setting position with relation to the setting arbor.

In addition to the turret mechanism described which introduces a speed-increasing, semi-automatic element into the modeof operation of the machine as will Vbe apparent,

I provide means for overcoming the tendency that exists in a machine of this general type to crush or 1n]ure work placed betwen a rigid anvil element and a rivet setting plunger. The means referred to takes the form of cushioning vor shock-absorbing elements so placed as to absorb and dissipate the blows delivered vby the arbor or plunger' to the anvil.

The particular embodiment -of my invention chosen for illustration and further description takes the form of a machine for setting rivet-shaped contact members in the base of porcelain fuse plugs.

In the drawings,

-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine.

Figure 2 is a broken front elevation of the same showing particularly ythe rivet feeding and clinching mechanism.

Figure 2a is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the construction of the articl supporting cushions. v

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation of the head portion of the machine.

Figure l is a top plan view ofthe rotary anvil or article support.

Figure 5 is a partly sectional side elevation of the same.

Figure 6 is a broken front view of the rotary article support, on an enlarged scale.

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective and. sectional views respectively of one of the porcelains with the center' contact rivet applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings arrivet setting device is illustrated which includes a base member 1 supporting an upright standard 2 upon the top of which is secured a head 3 which carries the rivet holding and feeding mechanism. At 4 is shown a foot pedal which forms part of a foot lever which is moved to and held in its elevated or inoperative position by the action of a tensile spring 5. At the rear of the standard 2 the foot lever terminates in an elongated arm 6 which is connected at its end with a link member 7.

The head member 3 is provided on its upper surface with a pair of separated lug members 8 between which is mounted upon the shaft 9 a rock arm 10. The rock arm 10 is connected at its rearmost extremity 11 with the other end of the link member T already referred to. rlhe forward end of the rock arm 10 is connected by means of the link members 12 with the upper end of a rivet setting arbor or plunger 13 which is mounted to vertically reciprocate in the forward extremity of the supporting head 3.

The supporting head 3 also carries the hopper member 14 of apparatus designed to hold a supply of rivets and feed them one at a time into position to be engaged by the lower end of the rivet setting plunger 13. In addition to the hopper 14 the rivet setting` mechanism includes a rotatable drum 15 and an inclined rivet feeding trackway 16 which terminates in a suitable rivet feeding device 17.

Secured to and projecting forwardly from the vertical standard 2 is a bracket member 18, the outer end of which is positioned beneath and in vertical alinement with the rivet setting plunger already referred to. The forward end of the bracket member 18 forms a sleeve 34 within which is held a cylindrical extension or post 19 which is integrally connected with a yoke member 2O which car 1ies in turn a shaft 21 upon which is mounted a rotatable carrier or turret device 22. The shaft 21 extends through an elongated bearing member 23 forming part of the yoke 2O and at the other end the shaft 21 carries the ratchet wheel 24. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 21 in between the ratchet 24 and a collar 25 is an arm 2G which carries a pawl member 27 normally held in engagement in the teeth ofi the ratchet 24 by the pressure of a spring 28. The spring` 28 is attached at one end to a pin 29 carried by the pawl 27 and at the other end to a screw 30 secured to the arm 26.

Mounted upon the shaft 9 so as to rotate therewith is a short arm 31 and the free end of the arm 31 is connected through a rod 32 with the ratchet operating arm 26. A sleeve nut 33 between adjacent ends of a break in the connecting rod 32 serves to vary the length of the rod 32 as may be desired.

The operation of the mechanism described is as follows: The downward movement of the foot pedal 4 forces a corresponding downward movement of the rivet settin plunger 13 and causes the setting or clinching of a rivet and this operation is followed by the upward movement of the plunger under the action of the spring 5. At the same time that the plunger 13 had descended the arm 31 was also operated to move the pawl member 27 downwardly over the next two teeth of the ratchet wheel 24. lhe following upward movement of the plunger 13 is accompanied by the corresponding upward movement of the pawl which brings about a rotation of the turret 22 in a counter-clockwise direction viewed in Figure G of the drawing. rlhis partial rotation of the turret 22 brings into alined position with the rivet setting plunger 13 a new piece of work.

In order to overcome the destructive effects of shocks or blows delivered by the plunger 13 against the work7 the yoke member 2O which carries the work supporting turret 22 is mounted upon a disk of rubber 35 or other cushioning or resilient material. It will be clear that the cushioning or shockabsorbing effect of the rubber disk 35 will prevent an abnormal shock or pressure of the plunger 13 from injuring the work. The vertical movement of the shaft lil which is permitted by the resilient disk l can be limited by means of the nut 3G and it will be seen that rotation of the shaft 19 within its seat is prevented by the coopera tion of a pair of set screws o7 with a groove 38 cut in the surface of the shaft 19.

In order to insure the correct registration of the turret or work carrier 22 with the reciprocating plunger 13, a hole 39 is drilled in the front portion of the yoke 2O and a plunger 40 and a ball 41 are placed therein. The ball member 41 is arranged to engage spherical depressions 42 formed in the face of the turret 22 and is kept in engagement: therewitlr by the pressure of a leaf spring 43 which is attached to the face of the yoke 2O by means of the screws 44. It will be seen that by means of the rotation of the turret 22 the ball 41 rolls freely over the surface of the turret member until the succeeding depression 42 of the series registers with the ball when the spring 43 forces the ball into place and prevents accidental rotation of the turret.

In order to supplement the cushioning effect of the rubber disk 35 I provide in the periphery of the turret member 22 additional cushioning means in the form of spring pressed work engaging members 4T which are located about the base of the posts 45 which are formed to tit the interior of hollow porcelain fuse plugs 46. The work engaging members or seats 47 rest en coiled l ti springs 48 which are containedin recesses 49 in the rim ot the turret 22. One end oi' each spring 48 is bent inwardly to engage a groove 50 in the shank of the work engaging member 47 and the opposite end is bent outwardly to enter a small hole 5l extending outwardly from the lower portion of the recess 49.

In the operation of the device the operator places a fuse plug 46 in position on the anvil member 45 at the upper right-hand side of the turret 22 when the turret is in the position shown in Figure 6 oi" the drawing. The operator then depresses the foot pedal 4 whereupon the rivet setting plunger I3 descends and forces a rivet downwardly through the rivet guide member 52 into the opening in the` base of the plug 4G and against the two curved surfaces 58 on the end of the anvil member 45. This operation tends to spread apart the members 54 oil the split rivet 55 into engagement with the lower face of the base of the plug as shown `in Figure 8 of the drawing. This completes the operation of setting the rivet in the plug member whereuponthe operator releases the foot pedal 4 and the spring 5 operates the i'oot lever to lift the plunger 13 to the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing and at the same time rotates the turret counterclockwise through an angular distance suf- Iicient to bring the next succeeding anvil member wit-h its plug 46 into vertical alinement with the plunger 18 as will be clear. At the same time the finished plug 46 upon which the operation has just been performed is moved to the left as indicated in the upper left-hand port-ion of the turret shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. The succeeding operation of the turret moves the. last named plug member downwardly to the position shown in the lower left-hand portion shown in Figure 6 where the plug 46, impelled by gravity and also by the pressure of the springs 48, is automatically removed from its position on the anvil member and drops into a receptacle provided for the purpose.

It will be seen that no delay is required between operations of the plunger to place and replace work since the work is placed on the holders before the holder has arrived in its operating position and while, if desired, the setting operations are being performed. The same thing is the case with the removal ot' the inished plugs, the removal taking place separately from the position of the plug in which the setting operation is per- 'toi-med. It will also be clear that the cushions or shock-absorbing means -provided overcomes the tendency to breakage that would ordinarily take place if the cushioning means were not present.

That I claim is:

l. In a rivet setting apparatus, a rivet setting plunger, a rotatable turret provided mechanism being operated` by the spring s;

lduring the return movement of said operating means to inoperative position.

3. In a rivet setting' apparatus, a rivet setting plunger, a rotatable turret provided with a series of work carrying anvil memiers located beneath the plunger, and means for operating the plunger including a foot treadle, a spring returning the foot treadle to inoperative position, and a ratchet mechanism connected to the turret for rotating the turret, said ratchet mechanism being operated by the spring during the return movement of said toot treadle to inoperative position.

4. In a rivet setting device, a rivet setting L.

plunger, means for operating the plunger, an anvil member formed to fit into a hollow porcelain fuse plug, a resilient cushioning member supporting said anvil member, and a resilient shock absorbing member against which the rim ont the hollow plug may rest when'the plug is in position on the anvil.

5. In a rivet setting device, a rivet setting plunger, means for operating the plunger, a rotatable turret device, anvil members carried by the turret device, said anvil members being formed to iit into hollow procelain fuse plugs, a resilient cushioning member supporting the turret, and resilient shock absorbing members against which the fuse plugs rest when in position on the anvil members.

G. In a rivet set-ting device, a rivet setting plunger, means for operating the plunger, a rotatable turret device, anvil members carried by the turret, means connected to the plunger operating means for rotating the turret to place successive anvil members in position for successive operations, said anvil members being formed to t into hollow porcelain fuse plugs, a resilient cushioning member supporting the turret, and resilient shock absorbing members against which the fuse plugs rest when in position on the anvil members.

7. In a rivet setting device, a vertically reciprocating rivet setting plunger, a foot operated lever, means connected to the foot lever for operating the plunger, a turret rotatable about a horizont-al axis beneath and llU lli)

transverse to the projected path of the plunger, anvil members carried by the turret, means connected to the plunger operating means for rotating the turret to place successive anvil members in position for successive setting operations, said anvil members being formed to lit into hollow porcelain fuse plugs, a resilient cushioning member supporting the turret, and resiilent shock absorbing members carried by the t-urret and against which the fuse plugs rest when in position on the anvil members, said resilient shock-absorbing members operating when aided by gravityk in the rotation ot' the turret to discharge the plugs from the anvils following the setting operation.

8. In a rivet setting device, a rivet setting plunger, means for operating the plunger,

supporting the turret, and resilient shockabsorbing members against which the tuse plugs rest when 1n posltlon on the anvil members.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature. i

EDWIN B. STIMPSN 

